This invention relates to bracket devices for mounting objects, such as posts or boards, to surfaces of support members for such objects.
It often is desirable to mount a rail or board to a post, or to mount a post or board to a flat surface. Unfortunately, in many situations, this can be inconvenient or difficult to accomplish. For example, in post and rail fences, holes in the posts are adapted to receive the ends of the rails. The holes are spaced a standard distance apart on the posts. However, sometimes it is desirable to vary the distance between the rails. Further, replacement of broken rails can be difficult, particularly where the pair of supporting posts are securely mounted in the ground and where other good rails are still retained by the posts. In this situation it can be difficult to remove the bad rail and even more difficult to position a replacement rail.
Further, it often is desired to mount a post on a horizontal surface, such as, for example, a railing post on a wooden deck, the legs of equipment such as swings and other children""s play devices on a concrete surface, the posts of swimming ladders on concrete decks, and fence posts on rock ledge, to mention only a few of the many possible post-to-surface mounting situations.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide devices by which a post or board or rail may be mounted on a surface which is horizontal, vertical, or inclined.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for quickly and easily mounting a post, board, or rail on a surface.
These and other objects of the present invention are addressed by the provision and use of a novel bracket for mounting on a surface and for retaining an end of an elongated object, the bracket comprising a flange portion for connection to the surface, and a tubular wall portion extending from the flange portion and having an open end for receiving the end of the elongated object, the tubular wall portion being continuous and endless circumferentially of the tubular wall portion for completely surrounding the end of the elongated object.
The objects of the present invention are further addressed by the provision and use of a method for mounting an elongated object on a surface, the method comprising the steps of: providing a bracket comprising a flange portion, and a tubular wall portion extending from the flange portion, the tubular wall portion having an open end for receiving an end of the elongated object and being continuous and endless circumferentially of the tubular wall portion for completely surrounding the end of the elongated object; and fixing the flange portion of the bracket to the surface and inserting the end of the elongated object through the open end of the tubular wall portion into a space defined by the tubular wall portion, whereby to mount the elongated object on the surface.